Chapter 00201: Dance for Me
# Dance for Me
Chapter 201
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 201: Dance for Me
"Oh?"
Wang Yang was momentarily stunned, but after a moment of thought, he caught onto Chen Qi's train of thought and chuckled, "Ah, I see, I see."
He didn't really care about Li Lianjie and didn't press further, simply saying, "I've noticed you've been running around so busy lately, and you don't even have any help. How much work can you really handle on your own?"
"It's not that I don't want to find help, it's just that there's no one suitable..."
Chen Qi showed a hint of weariness in front of the old man, saying, "This year, there are two films that absolutely must be made: one is 'Tai Chi 2,' and the other is a North America-exclusive co-production with the Great Wall. For 'Tai Chi 2,' since it's the same team as the first film, everyone has experience, and the second one should go more smoothly. I can afford to loosen my grip a bit. But for the North America-exclusive film, I have to keep a close eye on it the whole time, otherwise, they really won't know what I'm trying to achieve."
"Are you going to shoot in Hong Kong?"
"Yes!"
"Oh..."
Wang Yang nodded and added, "Actually, I don't even know what you're trying to achieve. The stuff in your head is like it's been forcibly stuffed in there—no one else has it. By the way, have you started on the magazine?"
"Not yet, I simply haven't had the time."
Chen Qi sighed, "The company's funds rely entirely on movie returns, which take a long time to come in. I have to keep making films, or else the cash flow could break at any moment. We need additional sources of income, but there are so many restrictions. That's why I'm determined to start the magazine—it's the easiest option right now. And if these two films fail, the company could vanish in the blink of an eye, and I'd be left out in the cold... Outsiders see me running a company and think I'm blessed with favor, but they don't understand the difficulties I face."
"..."
Wang Yang understood all this and patted the young man on the shoulder.
It's easiest to follow the path others have walked, but forging a new path is the hardest.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. I've almost finished the shooting plan for 'Tai Chi 2,' and I'll bring it to you tomorrow. The scale is even bigger than the first one, with a battle scene involving over a hundred people. I'll need your support for that."
"Only a hundred people? You call that a grand scene?"
"Wow, this is a martial arts film. You're comparing it to a military film?"
Chen Qi rolled his eyes.
Mainland military films are of excellent quality, though for some reason, they're rarely mentioned.
There's 'The South Campaign,' which used thousands of soldiers for filming—that's just a small example.
Then there's the monumental 'The Great Decisive War,' which mobilized 130,000 soldiers, along with 160 tons of explosives, 50 tanks, 100 cars for demolition, and over 1.7 million blank rounds...
With that kind of foundation, who would be impressed by a hundred people fighting?
But in Hong Kong, it's different.
If you can pull off a battle scene with over a hundred people, it's something to boast about.
............
When Chen Qi went to Hangzhou, Li Wenhua was already preparing.
The two met up, and the cast for 'Tai Chi 2' was as follows:
Yang Yuqian—Li Lianjie, Chen Shaomei—Gong Xue, Chen Shaojie—Wang Qun, Prince Rong—Liu Xun, Maid Xiaotao—Huang Qiuyan, Chen Zhengying—Yu Hai.
These were the righteous side, mostly unchanged.
The Red Lantern Society side: Huanglian Holy Mother—Ge Chunyan, Two-Faced Bodhisattva—He Qing, Tao Huimin.
The Boxers were complex, with both righteous and villainous aspects, requiring a dialectical view.
Chen Qi set up two groups: one fighting against foreigners, and the other engaging in lawless behavior, oppressing the good.
The leader of the oppressive group was played by Ji Chunhua, serving as the secondary antagonist.
The main antagonist, Nalan Yuanshu—Donnie Yen.
Tan Sitong—Da Shichang, yes, the same Da Shichang who just won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor, a Shanghai Film Studio actor who had played this role in the 1984 film 'Tan Sitong.'
Chen Qi deliberately blurred other historical figures, briefly mentioning Empress Dowager Cixi and Yuan Shikai, while setting Nalan Yuanshu as the treacherous villain who captures Tan Sitong.
This way, the conflict is focused between Yang Yuqian and Nalan Yuanshu.
'Tai Chi 2' isn't a historical film; it's a martial arts film.
History is just a backdrop to add depth, with exciting fight scenes to draw in audiences.
By the third film, it would be Yang Yuqian fighting against foreigners.
Three films would be the limit; any more and the audience would grow tired.
Chen Qi planned to finish the trilogy, then switch to modern action films for a few years, and return to period films when they became popular again.
The film market is like that, constantly rising and falling in cycles.
The budget for 'Tai Chi 2' was 1.5 to 1.8 million, with enhancements in various aspects.
Some scenes had to be shot in Hong Kong, requiring foreign actors.
Where would you find foreign actors in the mainland at that time?
The foreigners in 'Tai Chi 1' were played by Xinjiang brothers, with makeup and fake beards to make do.
But with more foreigners needed in the second film, they couldn't fake it anymore—they had to find real ones.
The plan was submitted to Wang Yang, and preparations proceeded smoothly, with shooting set to begin in the second half of the year.
Everything was ready, except for Li Lianjie.
Chen Qi didn't tell him when he returned, planning to let him stew for a few more days.
............
Gong Xue had won two awards but still hadn't been allocated an apartment with a flush toilet, continuing to live in a dormitory where she could hear others' intimate noises.
However, she truly felt the benefits of being "the most popular in the mainland."
People bought her bus tickets, let her skip lines at stores, and she received admiring glances wherever she went...
Though she had experienced some of this before, it wasn't as frequent as now.
At the moment, she was in her room, carefully polishing her two trophies and placing them gently back.
Then she heard a familiar knock and hurried to open the door.
"Little Silly~"
"Silly," pronounced "gang gang" in Shanghainese, is a term of endearment, like calling someone a silly fool.
"If you keep calling me silly, I'll call you Silly Qu Qu (Silly Big Sister)!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm learning Shanghainese too!"
"Hmph!"
She wrinkled her nose, reached out, and hugged him.
Chen Qi wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up and kissing her repeatedly.
They had both been so busy since returning, and only now had a moment to themselves.
After a long while, they finally separated.
"What were you doing by yourself?"
"I was polishing the trophies. Look, don't they look beautiful together?"
The room now had an additional storage cabinet.
On the top shelf, on the left was the Hundred Flowers Goddess trophy, and on the right was a Golden Rooster, with two certificates standing beside them.
Gong Xue gently caressed them, then suddenly picked up one of the certificates and opened it, revealing a letter inside.
"Oh, by the way, I received a letter from Elder Xia (Xia Yan) yesterday."
"Handwritten?"
"Yes, yes, I was so excited."
"Wow, decades from now, this will be a cultural relic..."
Chen Qi was very interested and unfolded the letter.
It wasn't written on lined paper but on plain white paper, with brushstrokes written freely, to be read from right to left, top to bottom.
The beginning had some congratulatory words, followed by: "You are in the prime of your youth, with a bright future ahead. I hope you will make even greater contributions to the revival and progress of Chinese cinema!"
"Wow!"
Chen Qi was a bit envious.
He had been in the industry for two years and still didn't have a single celebrity autograph.
He'd have to go to Haizi and get one someday.
Gong Xue carefully put the letter away, placing a hand on her chest.
"I feel so much pressure now. What if the next film flops? What if the audience doesn't like it? What if they say I'm all fame and no substance? It's all because of the awards. Maybe it would've been better not to win."
"Now you're just being insincere. Who doesn't want to win awards?"
"I mean it! I never expected to win, but... oh, by the way..."
Gong Xue suddenly pulled him over, making him sit on the sofa while she stood in front of him, speaking earnestly, "When I was giving my acceptance speech on stage, I wanted to thank you specifically, but I didn't get the chance. Now I'm telling you."
"Do you have to be so formal?" Chen Qi laughed.
"Be serious! I'm telling you now: without your guidance and help, I would never have achieved what I have today. This honor is mine, but it's also yours. I will work hard and live up to your expectations. Thank you, Little Silly~"
She laughed as she finished.
"Oh, so you're just thanking me with words?"
"What else do you want?"
Gong Xue was on guard.
"Tch!"
Chen Qi pouted.
"When you danced on stage, it was too far away, and I couldn't see clearly. Dance for me alone now."
(If the chapter flashes by and disappears, or you only see one chapter, it means the next chapter is under review.
That's all...)
(End of Chapter)